John 2:13-25

Dear TVCC Students,
Last night we studied John 2:13-25. We are so thankful to be able to worship with you all every Wednesday. Here is a recap...

~John 2:14-16: The people were using the Lord to advance their personal gain. People would travel a long way to come to the feast to offer sacrifices to the Lord and the local leaders took advantage of that and exploited the people. They pretended to be caring about the Lord's name but were really acting to advance their own riches.

Q: Are our motives pure when we come to worship or are we coming to advance our own name? What motivates you to come to church and do "Christian" things? If Christ's glory is not your motivation, you are missing the heart of God.

~John 2:18: Instead of responding in humility when they were confronted with their sins, the leaders that Jesus was calling out changed the subject, asking "What sign do you give to show your authority?" Basically they were asking, "Who are you to call us out on our sin?"

Q: How do you respond when people call you out on sin or when the Lord brings to light false motives in your life? Do you respond in humility or in pride?

~John 2:19-22: Jesus responds with the gospel... He would be destroyed (as would the Old way of doing things) and be rebuilt (ushering in a New/Perfect way to have everlasting communion with the Father). Jesus is the Way to the Father. He is our complete sacrifice and because of Him, we no longer have to offer temporary sacrifices to atone temporarily for sin.

Q: Have you trusted completely in the death and resurrection of Christ on your behalf or are you still trying to earn your way to the Lord by your own "sacrifices?" Christ has done it all! Trust in Him completely!

~John 2:23-25: Jesus saw that the people "believed" but still did not trust Himself to them. He knew that their "belief" was not genuine but was basically in the hype of the moment (they would eventually want Him crucified).

Q: Do you have a belief in Jesus that is genuine or do you just agree with the truths of Christianity to have acceptance from friends/parents/the community? Only Jesus knows your heart. When you die, Jesus will not ask if your parents thought you were a Christian... He will look at your heart to see if you truly believed. What do you really believe/trust in?

Dear students,
We love you all very much. We pray that you will again see that Jesus is not concerned with outward appearances of godliness but He wants pure hearts that worship Him in private and in public. We pray that you will evaluate your lives this week to make sure that you are living a genuine life. Spend time meditating on His Word this week. Again, we love you...

With Hope,
Sonny and Casi